Microsoft brings new GPT-4 Turbo version to Copilot free tier; check what's new

Microsoft has recently enhanced its artificial intelligence assistant, Copilot, by incorporating the advanced GPT-4 Turbo model into its free service tier. This move allows free users to utilize GPT-4 Turbo by setting Copilot to either Creative or Precise mode, a feature previously exclusive to Copilot Pro subscribers. Copilot Pro users, however, retain the ability to switch between GPT-4 Turbo and older AI models at will. Mikhail Parakhin, Microsoft's advertising and web services CEO, highlighted this new addition in a statement on the social media platform X.

What's new with GPT-4 Turbo?

GPT-4 Turbo is known for its ability to process up to 128,000 tokens and offer text-to-speech functionalities. It is the most capable version of OpenAI's models to date, trained on data available up to April 2023. Microsoft's introduction of Copilot and its integration across various platforms, including Windows 11, Bing, Microsoft 365, and the Edge browser, aims to seamlessly incorporate AI into user experiences. The Pro tier of Copilot, priced at $20 per month, offers additional AI-powered features in Office apps, along with early access to new models and enhanced image creation tools.

This development comes amid a broader trend of tech companies integrating generative AI into their offerings, following the success of OpenAI's ChatGPT. Competitors like Google, Samsung, and potentially Apple are exploring or have introduced AI features in their products. OpenAI continues to innovate by allowing the creation of specialized AI applications, with competitors also upgrading their AI chatbots.

After quite some work, GPT4-Turbo replaced GPT-4 in the Copilot free tier. Pro users can still choose the older model, if prefer (there is a toggle).

— Mikhail Parakhin (@MParakhin) March 12, 2024

Speculation about the next iteration of OpenAI's model, GPT-4.5 Turbo, has been fueled by a now-removed blog post from OpenAI's website, hinting at improvements over GPT-4 Turbo in terms of speed, accuracy, and scalability. This suggests that Microsoft might reserve the upcoming GPT-4.5 Turbo model for its Copilot Pro tier, continuing to offer distinct advantages to paying subscribers.